


Marry Me (Say You Will)

by midnightskydan



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Engagement, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Realistic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2019-10-24 15:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17706848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightskydan/pseuds/midnightskydan
Summary: pro·pos·al/prəˈpōzəl/nouna plan or suggestion,especially a formal or written one,put forward for consideration or discussion by others.“Marry me?”“Mkay.”





	1. July — 2011

**Author's Note:**

> alternatively titled: the longest proposal fic u will ever read
> 
> Genre: purest fluff, realism, proposal fic
> 
> Warnings: mentions of alcohol/drunkenness, mentions of sex, mentions of depression

**July 2011**

It was late, their brains foggy with cheap champagne and the afterglow of sex, their hearts alight with the happiness of being together for a moment without anything else in the world present.

Dan was twenty, contemplating taking a year off college or leaving entirely, finally having finished convincing his boyfriend to let him move in (it really wasn’t that hard once Phil found a good place), and he had things to do. He had videos to film. He had growing up to do, things to learn, a plan to figure out, YouTube projects to begin. He had a family to disappoint, and fans to entertain, and a boyfriend to try to be the best version of himself for.

But in the soft, drunken, afterglow, everything seemed easy. They weren’t asleep, for some reason. They just lied there, naked limbs tangled together despite the sweat. Phil’s hair tickled Dan’s neck, and it’d been nearly two years, and Dan sort of thought this was the end game. Though, he’d sort of thought that since the day he saw Phil’s blue eyes in person rather than through a fuzzy webcam.

Though, at first it had been fiery and intense and new, and Dan was afraid it might burn out too quickly for his liking. Then, the fiery newness started to go away, and nothing felt empty. That was probably when Dan knew.

This was it.

It was a scarily naive thought. The decisive thought Dan and Phil would work. Professionally. Publicly. Romantically. Quietly. Indefinitely. But he believed it.

Youtube could lose relevance tomorrow. The worst of Dan could get the better of him. Dan and Phil could grow and change in ways that weren’t so compatible. Phil could tell Dan he wanted to take time apart to grow and develop as people. All these things were perfectly able to happen. In fact, it was almost likely. But, as Dan laid in the presence of the first and only man he’d ever loved, and the only man he could ever see himself loving, he knew none of those things would happen. It was a very rare moment for Dan to feel entirely confident and certain in himself, his career, his relationship. But then and there he was.

“Marry me,” Dan breathed.

The words didn’t hold any weight. They both knew it. The sad truth was that at the moment they couldn’t, even if they were ready for such a commitment. Still, he said them. Because if they were a girl and a guy and this was a romantic comedy, instead of being two irrelevant young men enjoying a single moment of peace in an insane world, the words would mean something. And, before tonight, saying anything like them would have felt far scarier. The thoughts behind them were there. The “if we could, I would.” So, Dan would pretend for tonight that these words did mean something.

Dan felt the rumble of Phil’s chest, their skin pressed together, before he heard the chuckle. “M'kay,” he said easily.

“Cool,” Dan replied with a soft giggle.

“Gay marriage isn’t legal,” Phil mentioned, voice quiet and deeper than it would be if they were fully awake, fully sober, and not in private.

“Fuck it,” Dan replied, his own words a bit slurred with sleepiness. “We can go to, like, California and find a liberal courthouse and a socialist priest.”

“Good plan,” Phil mentioned. “We could do one of those, like, civil partnership things,” Phil said, as though he’d looked into it. “Gives us the benefits and—” He yawned. “We could even have a party for it.”

Dan grinned a little at that, at the idea that Phil seemed to have looked into how they could stay together in the future. “Fuck that,” he replied anyway. “I want a husband.”

Phil grinned back. “People’ll come to their senses eventually,” he murmured. “We’ll still be around when they do.”

“Think so?” Dan asked, moving further into him.

“Yeah,” Phil replied, yawning again. “Then I’ll marry you, Howell,” he said.

“M'kay,” Dan replied softly, yawning as well.

The morning brought no further comment on it, though it definitely wasn’t forgotten. They kept tentative eyes on the news when the gay marriage “debate” was brought up. How couldn’t they?  

And Dan moved in with Phil. And their popularity grew. And Dan began thinking that the naive thoughts he had about the future might actually come to pass.

 


	2. June — 2012

**June 2012**

“Hey, hey,” Phil said, alcohol on his breath.

“Mmm, yes?” Dan asked, trying his hardest to focus on looking Phil in the eyes. They’d had way too much to drink tonight and there wasn’t a single part of him that could see himself regretting it, except that he might’ve ruined the conclusion to today’s vlog. Fuck it. They were in Vegas. It was Dan’s birthday. Sue him.

Well, it was his late birthday celebration, but he was away with his boyfriend, legally allowed to drink in the states, and giddy on being in love and having an expensive hotel room. It was like back when they were in Jamaica. But with more alcohol and less scenery. So, he was going to enjoy himself a little too much. They both were.

“You know how in Friends—” Phil started.

“What?” Dan asked, lost.

“Friends! The TV show,” Phil replied, “You know with the:  _so, no one told you life was gonna be this way,_ ” he sang to the tune of the opening theme for friends, a slur in his voice. He proceeded to clap five times in quick succession.

Dan blinked, remembering the show. “Oh yeah! We should watch that,” he said.

“Yeah. Shut up. But you know how in Friends they go to Vegas?” Phil said.

“Yeah,” Dan replied, not sure he did actually remember. He leaned into Phil, who was somehow not so drunk they both fell over. He just wrapped an arm around Dan and looked him in the eyes, grinning.

“And then Monica and Chandler and Ross and Rachel all decided to get married?” he continued.

Dan frowned, trying to make his brain think of more things than just ‘ _Phil_ ’ and ‘ _lean in and kiss_ ’ and ‘ _smells like rum and coke and those stupid fruity drinks that are for probably meant for girls but fuck it_.’

“Wait, they all got married?” Dan asked, frowning as he thought (or attempted to).

“No, Ross and Rachel got married. And Monica and Chandler were gonna get married,” Phil said.

Dan frowned. “Who’s Monica again?”

Phil gently pushed him away, and Dan still stumbled, reaching to grip Phil’s arm and steady himself. “I’m making you watch these with me when we get home,” Phil said.

“Wait, okay, so they got married,” Dan said, straightening up a bit.

“Yeah,” Phil replied, reaching for Dan’s wrist. “‘Cause you can just elope in Vegas.”

Dan took his hand, leaning in and pecking him on the lips. “So, you’re saying we should elope,” he said.

“Yeah,” Phil replied, kissing him again. “Let’s get married.”

Dan giggled. “You’re drunnnk,” he slurred.

“So’re you, fuck’off,” Phil whined in reply. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” Phil said.

Dan laughed loudly. “I think marriage licenses work differently than that,” he theorized.

Phil shrugged, pulling Dan closer to him.

“Okay. Well. We could get married,” Dan said, pecking Phil on the lips. “But then we’d have to leave this perfectly good hotel room and the perfectly good hotel bed,” Dan said.

“You’d rather fuck me than marry me, I see how it is,” Phil said frowning.

Dan giggled, kissing Phil on the lips again. “S’my birthday so you have to do what I say,” Dan said decisively.

“Your birthday was like two weeks ago,” Phil said.

“Okay compromise,” Dan said. “We fuck tonight, and get married tomorrow,” he said.

Phil thought on this for a moment. “Deal,” he said, grinning.

Dan kissed him again, this time longer and messier. “Wait,” he breathed, pulling back. “Before we do the sex thing, I have to go be sick,” he said, tapping Phil on the nose and giving a wink before walking into the bathroom.

“Hot,” Phil called after him sarcastically.

Morning would bring hangovers and chuckles and jokes about eloping. It would bring too real thoughts about spending forever together. It would bring too real hopes that they would be able to get married one day, with a proper ceremony and reception, back in the country they grew up in, the country they met in.  

Then they would force themselves out of bed, film the rest of their vlog, and enjoy their final day of vacation in Vegas before they had to return home to real life.


	3. July — 2013

**July 2013**

Dan and Phil both watched the rainbow flags waving on the television, soft smiles on their faces. The headline read that the queen had voted queer. She had given her royal assent and the bill had finally been passed to begin allowing same-sex marriage. The news reporters spoke about the first marriages probably taking place next summer. Dan felt that this had been a long time coming.

Dan had sort of imagined he’d lost the privilege of marriage when he fell in love with a man. Part of him knew that one day he’d be allowed to marry, though, and that day would come sooner now.

Right now, he didn’t need marriage to be happy. He knew Phil felt the same way. They were in love, committed, recovering from a rough patch in their relationship, and focused heavily on their careers.

Still, they each knew as they moved closer to one and other, soft smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes as they watched the rainbow flags and the happy couples on the screen, that they wanted this one day. That the cheesy normal romance wasn’t out of the picture. Dan held Phil’s hand and they didn’t speak, but they still heard one and other.

For a moment they allowed themselves to feel pride for who they were and how they loved one and other, and they allowed themselves to imagine a day in the distant future where they maybe no longer felt the need to hide. Where they maybe wore rings on their fingers. Maybe even shared a last name.

 


	4. March — 2014

**March 2014**

The next year and Dan had his laptop on his lap, open to a word document with messily organized ideas, a million tabs open on google about book publishing. They hadn’t even decided if they were going to do this yet, but Dan was taken with the idea already. Phil could probably tell by his research.

There was a bit of wine in their systems and the ambiance of a simple afternoon in. Starting with a silly idea and some giggling, they had now filled two pages with ideas. Dan had never been more ready for anything. He hoped the motivation didn’t slip away before they could actually do this.

Phil read a headline on his phone and smiled softly before flipping on the news. He sat beside Dan as the screen lit up with the happy faces of gay couples piling into courthouses to sign wedding licenses.

Phil sat beside Dan and leaned against him. Dan looked up and smiled.

“Think we should head over?” he teased.

“Dan and Phil spotted eloping in a London courthouse,” Phil replied. “We’d be on trending for sure.”

Dan chuckled. “Well, we missed the chance to be the first so, might as well wait I guess,” Dan said with a sigh. “If the gaming channel fails, we’ll call that plan B,” Dan joked.

Phil chuckled. “Maybe next year,” he murmured, nuzzling into Dan’s embrace.

Things were almost only looking up for the two of them. Popularity, working for BBC, working with charity, Dan’s recovery plan when it came to his mental health, Dan and Phil’s relaxation of their boundaries around their relationship when it came to viewers. Every day was spent together, they were discussing huge projects and undertakings, they were making videos, they were generally just working on being so happy, and they were both pretty sure the general level of happiness in their life as partners (in business, in love, in life) would only rise as the years went on.

So maybe next year, if they could find the time.

 


	5. April — 2015

**April 2015**

They were in Japan. They’d been in Japan for a few days, and they were standing on the balcony of their hotel room, looking out at the lights of the city. Something about being in exotic places was insanely romantic. Dan and Phil had been wanting to come here for ages.

This had been sort of crazy for them. They hadn’t really done something so spontaneous since they had first met, but they’d realized that they could do it. Money wasn’t an issue, they had the time, and they could say they were doing it for their book. Still, when the cameras were off, Dan described it as their romantic getaway and Phil just giggled and went along.

It was hilarious to Dan that it sort of felt like a honeymoon. They’d taken vacations together before, Jamaica came to mind, but it was never just them. Never just a romantic getaway. There was always something else to do.

Dan’s arms were around Phil as they stood, looking out at the cityscape. They’d gotten back to the hotel rather late and both of them were exhausted, but there was still a residual giddiness from the loveliness of the day keeping them awake.

“Let’s get married,” Phil said with a hum. “Right now.”

Dan smiled. “In Japan?” he asked.

Phil shrugged. “Yeah. Just like elope. We don’t have to tell anyone,” he murmured, turning his head to look at Dan.

“Gay marriage isn’t legal here,” Dan mentioned, leaving out the fact that they were foreigners and therefore probably couldn’t actually get married in a different country.

“Oh right,” Phil said. “I always forget we’re a gay couple.”

Dan chuckled. “You’re so fucking weird,” he said. “I love being here, though,” Dan dropped a kiss to Phil’s neck. “With you,” he added. “It just, feels so freeing, to be somewhere they don’t really know ‘Dan and Phil,’ so we can just, like, be Dan and Phil,” he said.

“Yeah,” Phil breathed, leaning back into Dan. “I wish we could stay forever.”

They looked out at the lights. God, it was romantic. They were far from London and their beds and the sofa, but Dan felt right at home there, resting his chin on Phil’s shoulder and taking in the easy intimacy.

“We  _should_  get married,” Dan said.

“Yeah?” Phil asked.

“Yeah,” Dan replied. “We’re doing the tour, the book, we’ll be set after this,” he said. “We could even throw a fancy expensive wedding.”

Phil chuckled and hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah,” he said. “After the tour,” he said. “We’ve got to find a place to live, though. A long-term place,” he said.

“Mm,” Dan agreed. “We’ll do that after the tour too then. 2015 is planning. 2016 is tour. 2017 will just be us,” Dan said. “Life stuff. You and me stuff.”

Phil smiled. “Sounds good,” he admitted. “2017’s so far, though,” he said.

Dan looked over at Phil, his eyes reflecting the light of the moon and the city. “It just gives us time to get there,” Dan said. “These are going to be the best years of our lives,” Dan decided.

Phil smiled because he knew it was true. They were doing everything they never dreamed they would be able to do. Big creative projects, performances, presenting truer and more real versions of themselves to the world, growing into the people they were always meant to be, watching their relationship mature into the beautiful, committed, healthy relationship that it was always getting better at being.

“I knew when I met you these would be the best years of my life,” Phil said.

“Fuck off,” Dan replied, chuckling. “You probably thought we’d forget about each other after a few months.”

Phil giggled. “Maybe at first, but when we were in my bedroom—”

“You fucked me and then knew it was true love?” Dan asked.

Phil elbowed him in the stomach. “Shut up,” Phil said. “I actually hate you.”

Dan grinned, holding Phil tighter against him.

“You know what I meant. When you were actually there in person, and we just  _worked,_ andI never wanted you to leave, you know? I wasn’t like, ‘yeah this is who I’m gonna marry,’” he said with a laugh. “But I was like, ‘yeah this guy’s gonna give me some of the best times of my life.’ I definitely wasn’t wrong,” Phil said.

Dan grinned, squeezing his arms around Phil. “I’m, like, extremely, madly, in love with you, you know,” he mentioned.

“Yeah I know,” Phil replied. He finally turned around in Dan’s arms to look Dan in the eyes. “I think you’re the guy I’m gonna marry,” he decided.

Dan nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah. That might be cool,” he agreed.

Phil grinned and leaned in to kiss Dan on the lips. One of those smiling kisses where it wasn’t quite effective because they were smiling too much, but the thought was there.

Dan wrapped his arms around Phil, kissing him properly. They had two days left in the beautiful, exotic, vacation, and they were sure as hell going to make the most of them.

 


	6. February — 2017

**February 2017**

Some days, the prospect of marriage didn’t feel so close or so comfy. Some days it was the furthest thing from their minds. Some days, it was a scary sort of change that they didn’t want to confront. Some days it was a desire hanging over them, reminding them that they were sort of missing something, but not providing any sort of way to get there.

Dan and Phil hadn’t had two seconds to breathe once the tour started. Between the documentary filming, the performing, trying to continue to post videos, and being tourists, they had been fully drained. They had collapsed beside each other each night, content, fulfilled but exhausted. Eventually, the shows ran out and they returned home. They released their movie, the story of TATINOF, and then all of a sudden everything slowed down. They had done it. Done a Dan and Phil book and tour. Immortalized themselves, in a way.

And, now, suddenly, they had time. Time to think. Time to feel. Time to talk.

Dan tagged along to see Phil’s family on Phil’s birthday. His thirtieth. In some ways it felt like Dan and Phil were both just kids when they met and then almost overnight, they were these actual adults with semi-functioning lives. And now Phil was turning thirty. Thirty years of life. Eight of those years with Dan.

It felt like it was time for something. Something more. Maybe it wasn't exactly time, but it was getting much closer.

Phil was pretty sure he knew exactly what that something was when he and Dan were walking over the grassy hills by the beach on the Isle of Man with Martyn and Cornelia and Phil’s parents. When Dan slipped down after stepping on an overhang, cursing. When there was a brief moment of concern before Phil started laughing. When he climbed down a bit more carefully and offered Dan a hand.

And when Phil captured the moment for Dan’s Instagram as he deemed the occurrence very on brand.

They did sort of want everyone to know that they were up here visiting Phil’s family together. To stop the questions that would no doubt be running through the fan’s’ minds, maybe. Maybe just to show off a little. Maybe as a step further out of ‘the closet,’ a term they had both sort-of grown to dislike.

And Phil knew again when Dan was laughing and making jokes with Phil’s family like it was second nature. When Dan volunteered to help Kath in the kitchen and when Dan crawled up to lay his head against Phil’s shoulder on the couch when he’d finished. When they crawled into bed later that night and Phil thought about how strange it was that they hadn’t spent Christmas together.

The next day, they got up early, beat Phil’s mum even, and left a note on the counter saying they had gone off on a walk. Sappy as shit, but Phil knew his mother would smile. Perhaps while rolling her eyes.

The paths here were lovely to walk down, the area small. It felt a bit like a little corner of the world where no one else could see them. Where they were hidden away, untouchable.

“Look at me,” Phil murmured, his voice quiet as he held his phone camera up. He and Dan had always loved photos. Capturing moments to come back to later.

Dan smiled looking over at him. “What?”

“You look cute,” he said. His voice was soft, coated in fondness. “For Instagram. Maybe,” Phil replied.

“Oh?” Dan asked. “Now you’re just showing off.”

“Possibly,” Phil said, knowing what Dan meant.

Maybe it wasn’t the right time for this conversation, but Phil was never a patient man.

“I want them to know you’re here with me,” he said softly. He wanted everyone to know, really.

“I know,” Dan answered. “Me too.” Dan shoved his hands back into his pockets, dimple popping even with just the slight smile he wore.

They continued walking and Phil tried to sort out his thoughts.

“Marry me,” he said before he had the chance.

Phil supposed that if they were another couple, Dan might’ve looked up in surprise. That Dan might have grinned and cried and said ‘yes, yes, yes’ over and over. As it was, they were Dan and Phil, and this was not the first time the words had slipped past one of their lips.

So, Dan smiled a bit more, looking over at Phil. He pulled his hand from his pocket, offering it to Phil.

They didn’t do that. Normally. But Phil was starting to think that they were going to begin redefining their normal. So, on the empty stretch of beach, Phil took Dan’s hand. No one was around. Dan and Phil were the only two people in the world right now.

“I’m going to,” Dan said.

Phil realized that if Dan had simply said yes, he would have been happy. He knew that they would have come into roadblocks, though. They would have to postpone.

“When?” Phil asked.

Dan looked over at him. He smiled again, tugging Phil after him and down one of the grassy hills and toward the water. The ground was wet with the early-morning frost, but Dan sat down on the sand, gesturing for Phil to do the same. The two looked out at the ocean.

“Whenever you want me to,” Dan said quietly.

Phil was surprised by that, looking over at Dan. “Really?”

“I’d marry you tomorrow if we had a plan ready tonight,” Dan said, looking at his left hand. At the finger that sometimes, like now, looked naked.

“I wish it was that easy sometimes,” Phil said.

“Me too.”

“We will get married though, won’t we? Soon?” Phil asked.  

There was a longing to his voice. A longing for the future that was he had wanted to be here by now. Phil wanted to get married. Wanted to have that silly domestic bliss. Still, he knew that he and Dan weren’t entirely ready, despite their ages, their financial comfort, and the family and friends watching them to see when they would. They would know when they were truly ready. They would build up to it. That was what they did. Sink into it, adjust to it. Maybe it was caution. Maybe they just wanted to savor the journey.

“Yes,” Dan answered. “When it’s time, we’ll know,” he said. Dan had the habit of knowing just what Phil was thinking. “We’re not the spontaneity type, anyways, are we?” He looked out at the ocean. The serenity of waves lapping up against the sand. The cool wind stung his cheeks and he’d pulled away his hand to bury it in his pocket where it was warmer.

“Dan?”

Dan looked over at him.

“Can we be engaged?” Phil asked, squeezing Dan’s hand.

Dan sort of felt like they already were, but a little clarification never hurt. This felt like Phil saying that he wanted to speed things up, just a little. Wanted to bring this dream a little closer to them. Dan and Phil never really got a proposal, at least not a dramatic and life-changing one, so Dan grinned.

“Are you proposing to me, Phil Lester?” he asked.

“Should I get on one knee?” Phil asked, also grinning.

“You haven’t even got a ring.”

“Shit.”

Dan couldn’t help but giggle. “Some people get extravagant romantic date proposals with rose petals and—”  

“Hey!” Phil shoved Dan, pouting and Dan giggled.

“—champagne, and diamond rings, and long emotional speeches, and—” He was laughing too hard now as Phil punched him in the arm.

“Alright, Dan, fine, hold on.”

“Oh god, what are you gonna do?” Dan asked.

Phil just grinned, looking around and patting his pockets. He reached into his coat pocket. Pulling out a glove, he seemed to make a decision. He looked at Dan and grinned, getting on one knee, offering up the glove.

“Daniel Howell,” he said. “I do not have a ring, but that’s just another decision that you and me can make together. So please accept this glove as—”

“Where did you even get that?”

“My mum sent me out with them yesterday, now shush.” He cleared his throat again. “Daniel James Howell. We’re up here visiting my family, and it always feels so right to have you here as well. I think I’m lucky enough that I get to have my family wherever I am because you are my family. You’re my home.”

“Jesus, Phil...” Dan said, smiling at the silliness of it, but also feeling tears gather. He hadn’t been expecting to actually get emotional.

“You are. You’re my best friend and my family and my partner in, like, everything that I do. I love that. I want to celebrate that in every way in the world. I want you to be right here with me forever. I want to make endless memories with you. I wanna promise you that I love you forever and ever and ever. So, if you will please accept this glove, which I spent my whole life savings on, and let me know. Will you marry me? Be my fiancé, then, when we figure it out, my husband?” Phil was beaming at Dan, his eyes sparkling, holding out a goddamn glove, and they were so stupid, but Dan loved it so much.

Dan knew they were going to get married. He had always known, but somehow hearing it like this felt different. It felt real. It felt tangible. He couldn’t help that tears were starting to slip down his cheeks. He giggled. “Yes,” he said through his giggles and sniffles. “Of course.” He offered his left hand.

Phil grinned, sliding the winter mitten, with some difficulty, onto Dan’s hand. Dan held his hand up and looked at it. “It’s beautiful, Phil.”

“You’re beautiful,” Phil retorted.

“Come here, you fucking nerd,” Dan said, still cry-laughing a little.

Phil stood and offered a hand to Dan. He pulled Dan up and smiled at him, bringing a hand to his cheek to wipe away tears with his thumb. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Dan’s lips.

“I love you,” Dan said.

“I love you too.”

“We can’t tell your mum we’ve gotten officially engaged, though,” Dan mentioned. “It’ll ruin your whole birthday month.”

Phil just grinned and kissed Dan again. “Here,” he murmured, handing Dan the other glove. “It’s a matching set.”

“You spent two of your whole life savings?”

“I used yours.”

“That’s fair.” Dan giggled. “God, you’re such a fucking twat. Fucking engagement glove.”

Phil grinned, absolutely pleased with himself. “I was actually going to grab the first rock I saw, but I thought I’d use something you could actually wear.”

“Pfffft,” Dan breathed. “Gee, thanks.”

“But here’s the thing though,” Phil said, grinning. “Why should love and commitment need to be represented by material items? I mean, who even—”

Dan cut Phil off by pressing his lips to Phil’s. “Shut the fuck up,” he breathed, pulling back. “I want a ring.”

Phil just grinned some more. “Look at me,” he murmured, looking over Dan. “Let me take a picture of you.” He looked stupidly adorable in his hat, cheeks flushed from the cold, eyes just a little watery from the emotion. He looked so happy.

Dan chuckled but complied. ([link](https://www.instagram.com/p/BQBNr4Ujx_3/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet))

And when they returned to the house, and Kath asked how their walk was, they shared a glance and a smile between themselves and simply said it was lovely. 

 


	7. May — 2017

**May 2017**

“Oh my God, no,” Phil said between giggles.

“Why not?” Dan asked, giggling himself.

Phil shoved Dan. “Wedding rings are supposed to represent eternal love, not be a goth fashion statement,” he said.

Dan pouted, moving back to sit against the headboard. Phil leaned his head against his shoulder again, and Dan smiled a little. Phil looked back down at Dan’s phone.

The two of them were sat in bed having a lazy day. Things in the new flat still needed unpacking and neither of them had eaten anything but takeaway in about a week, but they were exhausted, so they were in bed.  

Dan was scrolling through Pinterest wedding bands that cost way too much because the tour was over, they’d become engaged, they were moving, Dan was planning a lot of change with his YouTube, and even though he’d now realized 2017 was far too busy without any plan of marriage, he knew it would be coming up in the next few years. He hoped it would. And he was impatient, and he liked to fantasize.

Dan clicked on a suggested image of the ring beside another similar ring. “But, look, they have matching ones, we could be aesthetic husbands,” Dan said, grinning as he looked over to see Phil’s expression.

Phil was unimpressed. “I’m just saying, is black the most romantic of colors?” he asked.

“Black is the only acceptable color,” Dan replied.

“You don’t see a black ring on someone’s finger and think they’re married, you just think they’re some sad edgy person,” Phil said.

“But I am some sad edgy person,” Dan argued.

“Yeah but…I…Well, I’m not,” Phil said.

“You’re saying my wedding ring shouldn’t be true to myself?” Dan teased, climbing over Phil in a way that had become a little smoother over the years, and sitting atop his thighs.

Phil grinned, looking up at Dan. “I definitely think it should,” he said. He took Dan’s left hand, looking at it. “So maybe something gold, hm? Maybe with some diamonds, I dunno. That’s more you, don’t you think?” He looked back up at Dan.      

Dan looked affronted, “Do you know me at all?”

Phil grinned. “Better than you know yourself, Danny boy,” he replied, leaning forward and kissing Dan on the lips.

Dan’s lips twitched up, face remaining close to Phil’s. “Maybe silver.”

Phil kissed him again. “Maybe the engagement ring can be black, or grey. With diamonds and sapphire.”

Dan grinned. “Oh, so you actually are getting me an engagement ring, are you?”

Phil shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“Well, I’m getting you one too then,” Dan decided. “But we probably shouldn’t make it a surprise, because we have to coordinate.”

Phil kissed Dan again. “We’re going to need to go on another tour with all this talk, Daniel.”

“Told you we should’ve eloped in Vegas during tatinof,” Dan said with a sigh.

Phil kissed Dan again, rolling him over to kiss him properly, the two of them giggling.

 


	8. March — 2018

**March 2018**

“I can’t believe we’re going on tour again,” Dan said with a pout, head leaning against Phil’s shoulder as he looked through wedding Pinterest boards, an activity that had started as a distant, somewhat joke of a dream in 2015 upon seeing a suit that Dan could just perfectly imagine walking down an aisle wearing and needing to save it. It had evolved into a more frequent activity and saving posts to his board called “soon 💍.”

They’d returned from today’s rehearsals and promptly collapsed on the couch together, Dan absently opening Pinterest and being bombarded by posts for wedding planning, seeing as he’d only really gotten the Pinterest to save the stuff he wanted to remember for when they finally did do what they’d been quietly planning with each other.

“It was your idea,” Phil replied, fingers absently stroking Dan’s arm as he looked at his own phone.

“I know,” Dan said, still pouting. “It’s gonna be amazing,” he said.

Phil smiled, looking over at Dan, noticing what he was doing on his phone. Phil’s smile fell a little.

“One more hurrah, right?” Phil murmured. “Go out, see the world, meet all the people who support us, give a real show, a more ‘us’ show. Like you said. Then,” Phil kissed the top of Dan’s head. “Then, we’ll do some more ‘us’ things, right?”

“Us?” Everything the two of them did was an ‘us’ thing.

“You know what I mean,” Phil murmured, and Dan did. He didn’t just mean them. He meant them in the romantic sense and in the life sense.

Dan sat up, shifting to look at Phil. “And what’s next for ‘us,’ Phil Lester? What’s the official list?”

Phil smiled. “So, the official list that we’ve both been unofficially making together?”

“Yes.”

Phil suppressed his grin as he replied. “Alright. Well, of course, a forever home, right? Buy our own place?”

“Mhm,” Dan agreed. “Obviously. Get that one in the works. What else?” he asked, looking Phil in the eyes, grinning himself.

“Well,” Phil replied, plucking Dan’s phone up off the couch, still open to a picture of a wedding cake. “Marry me,” he said.

Dan smiled at the words.  _Marry me_.

Perhaps it had lost its intense, romantic, sound. Perhaps that was okay. It didn’t sound like a proposal. Now, it sounded like a promise. It sounded like home. Like the next item on their list. It wasn’t a crazy, romantic, spontaneous, idea. It was the thing they’d been dying to relax into for so long.

Dan grinned. “Alright,” he agreed, leaning to kiss Phil softly on the lips. “No more putting it off? I’m tired of being a fiancé,” he said softly. “A guy needs to level up. When we get home again, after the tour, are we gonna figure things out? Actually, do it?”

Phil reached to push his curls from his forehead. “Yes. I honestly don’t think I can wait too much longer,” he replied.

“Me either,” Dan replied moving into Phil’s side and wrapping his arms around his waist, leaning against him. “Promise?” he asked softly.

Phil smiled. “I promise.”

Dan hummed. “Good,” he said, pulling back to look Phil in the eyes. “I wanna be your husband.”

 


	9. July — 2018

**July 2018**

It was a late night in a hotel room in the states. Dan was sat against the headboard, occasionally grabbing a chip from their mostly-eaten room service dinner. Phil had crawled up next to him and sat beside him, shoulders and legs pressed together. Nothing had really brought upon the subject. Phil had glanced over at Dan’s phone to find Pinterest wedding boards again. Phil was never sure if he was dreaming wistfully about the future or if he just opened Pinterest when he was bored and thought ‘that’s a cool wedding cake idea, save that for the future’ and then got pulled into a vortex of aesthetically pleasing table-settings, bridesmaid outfits, and wedding venues.

“Hold on,” Phil murmured, surprising Dan.

“What?” Dan asked, turning his head to see Phil looking at his phone.

“Scroll back up,” Phil said.

Dan complied, and Phil pointed to a set of rings. “What about those?” he asked.

“What, for wedding bands?” Dan asked. The set was his and hers style, one being a silver ring with sapphires and a diamond, the other being a silver band with diamonds embedded and wrapping around it.

“I dunno, maybe engagement ones,” Phil said. “Do you not like them?”

“No, it’s just—” Dan looked down, blushing a little. “I already have one that I, uh, thought would be good for you.”

“Oh,” Phil said, feeling warmth grow in his chest at that.

“Not that I was planning anything special to do with it. We are engaged, aren’t we?” Dan asked.

Phil smiled. “Yeah,” he assured. “We are. I did propose, didn’t I?”

Dan giggled. “We still calling that a proposal?”

“I mean it’s a little more romantic than just talking about getting married sometimes,” Phil argued.

“I think that’s cozier,” Dan admitted. “And a bit less stressful.”

Phil smiled. “Can I see the ring?”

“Yeah. Tell me if it’s trash, or whatever,” Dan said, opening the safari app on his phone.

Phil looked at the ring.([link](https://www.brilliantearth.com/rings/cyorings/purchase_review/?did=1153325&ucg=true&sid=1152801))

It was simple enough, the setting was platinum, in an intertwined pattern, twisting into a design that seemed to be silver plant buds surrounding the gem in the middle. The gem was a sapphire, teal in color and cut round.

“Oh wow,” Phil said. “I love it.”

“It’s not too girly, or whatever?” Dan asked. It was a women’s style ring, but the men’s style engagement bands were so boring in comparison.

“No, I like it,” Phil said with a grin. “It’s perfect. Did you pick one for yourself too?”

“No, dingus, that’s your job,” Dan said. “But do be aware that if it doesn’t compliment yours, I will be upset.”

“Oh,” Phil said softly. “Alright. No pressure.”

Dan giggled. “Phil, you offered me a glove and I agreed to marry you, I don’t think you should be too concerned.

“That is true.” He leaned his head on Dan’s shoulder. “What about the wedding bands?”

Dan set his phone down. “I think we should look at that once we have a plan,” he said.

“You’ve got it all figured out, wow,” Phil said, yawning. “Think I can help when we actually plan the wedding?”

“Depends on if you have good ideas,” Dan teased.

“Excuse you. I have the most brilliant ideas.”

“Well, you did agree to marry me, so I guess you can have good ideas sometimes,” Dan said, settling down against the pillows.

“See, exactly,” Phil agreed, leaning against Dan’s shoulder again.

 


	10. October — 2018

**October 2018**

It had been a long few months, and a lot of hours of driving and flying and time to think. And it had been a lot of shows of meeting with fans, of hearing their thoughts, of having a real interaction with the people who watched their content and making more sense of the boundaries between an audience and the act. At some points in the tour, there were these deafening moments of realization. At some points, everything seemed much simpler.

Phil was worried that those moments would wash away as they returned back to business as usual. But they returned home, and things didn’t change or revert.

It was even quieter at home, gave them even more time to just think, especially as they spent most of their first day back in bed. While Dan was asleep at a normal hour, Phil had woken up far too early from the jet-lag. He and Dan had to edit their film, had to try and get any opportunity they could to reach Brazil or Mexico with their tour, had to get back to work for a while, do spooky week, PINOF 10, and eventually something for Christmas, but after they didn’t really have anything major planned yet in their professional lives.

Phil thought back to the beginning of the tour, to the end of 2017, their “life stuff” year. Thought about how much Dan’s Pinterest board had filled up in the past few years. Thought about when Dan asked him to promise that they would finally do it after interactive introverts ended.

Phil had never been too invested in the idea of marriage. His brother hadn’t gotten married to his serious, long term, girlfriend. His parents had more recently been quiet about their wants, though Phil knew his mother was probably holding out hope. He had never been desperate to get married, but he couldn’t say he’d never fantasized about it as a romantic and lonely teenager, at the beginning of his and Dan’s relationship, as he and Dan started to relax into their domestic, committed, life. He’d thought it impossible for so long, just a distant dream. He had been able to dull it down in his mind, come up with reasons it was impractical, or silly, or an outdated tradition. But with the option available, with Dan seeming so interested in it, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He suddenly began wanting to write “husband” on medical paperwork, started to wish they got those silly words, those silly rings. He even started to fantasize about vows, about actually celebrating their love, their romantic love, in front of friends and family. And Phil knew Dan probably started to feel the same around the same time that all these feelings had surfaced for Phil.

Phil opened his phone’s safari app, clicking on the page that had been favorited for a while. He already had his preferences set in, but he glanced them over again.

Phil smiled a little. He put it in his credit card information, and clicked checkout, purchasing the two rings.

 


	11. December — 2018

**December 2018**

Finally, the official Interactive Introverts DVD, as well as a Director’s Commentary, was out of their hands, their work done. They continued to film videos between dreamful conversations about the next ‘phase’ of ‘Dan and Phil’ as a professional duo.

The slowing of their lives had left room for the sadness to sneak back into Dan’s head, which made sense, seeing as this was much like a come down off of a high, but he was readjusting well. He got back into the swing of day to day domestic life with Phil and even began trying to pick up the healthy habits he’d managed to beat into himself before the tour began.

Things were honestly really fucking good aside from the occasional overwhelm that could creep up on Dan when it came to the next move in his career. He had made a bargain with himself to stay off social media (for the most part), which was a bit harder than he had expected it to be, but overall helpful in his quest to rediscover who he was by himself rather than as an entertainer.

Christmas seemed to happen all at once. One day it was December 1st and the next they were in their rooms packing to visit family.

“You think we’ll spend Christmas together next year?” Dan asked quietly, folding a t-shirt and setting it in his case. The question came up every year. It always felt odd to spend so much of their time together only to part for the holidays. Dan was spending a few days with Phil’s family up North and returning to his hometown just in time for Christmas Day, but it was still strange to him that the two of them weren’t able to be together on Christmas Day.  

“Maybe,” Phil said. “If that’s what you want. It’ll be tough getting our families together, though, won’t it?” he asked, as he always did in reply.

Dan had spent a good few years saying ‘maybe next year.’ But he was certain that ‘next year’ had turned into this year. After all, ten years of being together was too long for Dan to go without showing his family who Phil really was to him, even if it still scared him. Even if part of him was terrified that his family wouldn’t want to spend Christmas with him once they knew.

“Yeah,” Dan agreed with a soft sigh, knowing there was nothing that could be done about it tonight. An irrational part of him wanted to call his parents and do it right then and there. Tell them he wanted to bring Phil. His boyfriend Phil. Of course, that was far too terrifying, even as a daydream. “You know, this won’t fly when we’re married.” 

Phil smiled in a sad sort of way. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out by then.”

“Don’t make it sound so far away,” Dan said softly. Sometimes this stupid marriage thing felt like a dream where as soon as they got close to it, it moved further away. Sometimes, Dan felt like that was his fault.

Phil looked over at Dan, frowning a little.

Dan sighed. “I just—I don’t know it’s just the holidays, I guess,” he said. “It always feels weird to not, like…you know, be a family around Christmas.” He didn’t look over at Phil as he shoved pairs of socks into the pocket of his suitcase.

Phil’s eyes were on Dan, however. He thought of the small box containing two rings that were hidden away in the flat, somewhere Dan wouldn’t stumble upon it. Maybe he should have gotten it. Should have given it to Dan right then as a reassurance of his intentions. Maybe he should have gone and grabbed it so they could bring it up North with them and he could give it to Dan there.

It was Christmas, though. And Dan and Phil were going to Phil’s parents, and then Dan to his. Though Dan and Phil liked to think of themselves as already engaged, the rings would look and feel like a proposal, a more official one than the few they had shared. Family would get in the way. The holidays. Dan’s fear over his family’s possible reaction. They deserved to have that moment by itself with nothing else to take from it. They deserved for it to be just theirs.

Dan was folding his clothing a bit faster now, shoving it into his case a bit harder, his jaw tense.

Phil sat on the bed. “Dan,” he murmured.

Dan paused and looked over at Phil.

“Next year,” he said. “I promise.”

“You better make good on that, Lester,” he said.

“I always keep my promises,” Phil said.

“Debatable,” Dan answered with a small grin.

Phil threw a pair of underwear at Dan. “I do!”

Dan grinned wider. “Oh, you do, do you? Hmm, let’s see. ‘Oh, Dan, I won’t leave the cupboard door opens anymore, promise,’ or—” Phil threw another item of clothing at him and Dan giggled. “—or ‘oh, Dan, if you get the post today, I’ll do it next time I promi—” Dan was cut off when a pillow hit him in the face.

“You’re the worst and I hate you,” Phil said.

Dan just grinned. “Well you promised to marry me, so sucks to suck,” Dan said.

“I did,” Phil agreed with a smile. “Pick up those clothes,” Phil said, motioning to the clothes on the floor by Dan.

“Oh, the clothes you threw onto the floor, sure yeah,” Dan said, throwing a pair of underwear at Phil’s face.

“I deserved that,” he admitted.

“I love you,” Dan mentioned, and it sounded a bit more sincere than Phil would have expected.

“I love you too,” Phil answered.

 


	12. February — 2019

**February 2019**

Dan and Phil were walking down the same path by the beach again. Phil’s birthday had been lovely, as usual. It was cozy and in the company of family, and all in all a nice time. Dan enjoyed the seclusion of the Lesters’ home even more than the times before today. They were enjoying being just them.

The last few years had been spent learning how to comfortably open themselves up. Now, they had an idea of where they were going career wise and in the eyes of the public. The fear was gone. Or at least dulled a bit. And with no fear creating a wall between Dan and Phil and the eyes that watched them, it was time to relearn which moments not to share, which moments would just be theirs. Dan himself had decided to just be his for a while. So, it went without saying that this trip was theirs.

Last year, walking down this path, they thought about how they were basically a year in to being engaged. They’d talked about the year they were embarking on. A World Tour. There was no time for life plans, and they didn’t mind it as much as they had expected. For a year, the Dan and Phil of everyday life were the same as Entertainer Dan and Phil. Most of the time, Entertainer Dan and Phil is what Dan and Phil wanted to be. And so, they loved it. They loved standing in front of people who adored them for reasons Dan and Phil didn’t always understand, hearing rooms of people laugh because of something they said, meeting people who said that Dan and Phil made them happy, made them feel safe, gave them a community. They loved this family. Their family was this huge, messy, family of people who watched their content to be entertained and the two weirdos who created said content.

This year, they walked down the path, they thought about how they were basically two years engaged. They realized that they were back to a family of two again. Entertainer and everyday life had to find a balance again. They were home. They had time for life stuff. Dan wanted that life stuff more than he ever had before, and he knew Phil wanted it to.

Phil turned to the right and Dan followed as he walked down onto the beach, sitting on the sand. Dan didn’t say anything, sitting beside him. The silence laid over them like a blanket, and Dan wasn’t ready to peak his head out yet. It was comforting to be with someone without feeling the need to perform, to talk, to be interesting. Dan supposed that was one of the reasons he and Phil worked so well. Neither of them ever had to be interesting around each other. They could go for hours just listening to one and other breathe, or, as Phil was doing, taking in the way the other looked.

Dan looked out to the ocean, but Phil knew he could tell Phil was looking at him. Their eyes on one and other felt normal, comforting. They quite liked to look at each other. And Phil was quite liking looking at Dan as it was. Dan’s hood was down, and his hair was a mess of curls, the wind playing with it, tangling it. When they returned to the house, Phil would run his fingers through it and untangle it. His cheeks were flushed pink from the cold, the one spot on his cheek almost red.

Phil gripped the box in his coat pocket with his left hand and took in a breath.

“I have something for you,” he said quietly.

Dan looked over. “What?” he asked, smiling. “It’s your birthday.”

“Well, it’s for me too,” he said. He pulled the box out of his pocket and set it on the beach between them. Phil could tell the second Dan realized. He flicked his eyes up to meet Phil’s, almost hesitant.

“Open it,” Phil murmured.

Dan bit his lip, reaching out his left hand to take the lid off the box. He held his breath, letting it out all at once when he saw the two rings. He’d seen one before, on a LED screen, after spending hours picking it out for Phil. The other was new. It was gorgeous. It complimented the one Dan had picked out for Phil. The intertwining ring setting ended in leaves which surrounded a dark jewel. (LINK) https://www.brilliantearth.com/custom-rings/Solitaire-Leaf-Ring-1154259/

Dan felt tears well in his eyes. It was strange how two shiny pieces of jewelry could make so much emotion well in Dan’s chest.  
Phil watched Dan’s reaction, smiling a little.

“Do you—uh,” Dan started, going to touch one of the rings. “That one’s mine?”

Phil reached to grab the ring from the box. He held it between his fingers and offered it out. “Can I?” he asked.

“Please,” Dan replied, voice barely a breath. He held out his left hand for Phil. He wasn’t sure if it was shaking due to the emotion, the cold air, or a combination of both. Phil slid the engagement ring onto Dan’s ring finger and Dan felt tears leak from the sides of his eyes as he watched it take its place resting snugly at the base of Dan’s previously naked ring finger. Dan held his hand out, looking at it. He choked on a sob, laughing a little at the silliness of the overwhelming emotion. “Fuck,” he breathed.

“I want to start planning our wedding,” Phil said, and Dan had been aching to ask the same of Phil. Christmas and Phil’s birthday and work had stopped him, but he was so glad Phil asked.

“Me too,” Dan said, voice broken with the emotion. He moved the box aside and moved closer, leaning in to hug Phil tightly, burying his face in Phil’s neck, shoving off the hood he wore. 

Phil held Dan back just as tightly, and they breathed each other in, held each other close, let the reality of the words Phil had just spoken sink in. Phil breathed out shakily, holding Dan a bit tighter, feeling tears well in his own eyes.

“We’re getting married,” he breathed.

“Yeah,” Dan answered, laughing through his tears. “For real this time.”

Phil laughed a little too. “Yes,” he agreed. He pulled back to look him in the eyes. “For real. As soon as we get home, I want to find a venue. We’re going to book a date.”

Dan smiled, a few tears slipping down his cheeks. “Wait,” he realized, sniffling a little. “Let me--” He reached to grab the box, taking out the ring he had picked out for Phil months and months ago. “Can I?”

Phil smiled, himself sniffling a bit as he offered his left hand to Dan. Dan slid the ring onto Phil’s ring finger. He compared their two left hands. “There. We match.”

“I love you,” Phil said.

“I love you too.”

Dan smiled, looking down at his engagement ring. “I never want to take this off,” he admitted.

They didn’t have everything worked out. In fact, they didn’t have much of anything worked out. They didn’t know how they were going to manage their marriage and engagement publicly. They didn’t know if they would announce it or lead up to it or quietly allow it to happen without much conversation by them. They didn’t know if they would have to take the ring off when they sat in front of cameras and for how long. No doubt they would spend hours and hours talking it through and asking advice and getting unsure and frustrated.

But none of that mattered, because this was the first step. And Dan and Phil were definitely going to book that venue. Dan was thinking April next year. Phil was picturing Dan in an over-the-top white suit. Dan was thinking about writing vows. Phil was wondering about wedding bands. The two of them were getting married.

So, for now, Phil said, “Then don’t.”


	13. June — 2019

“I’m so proud of you.” The words were spoken against Dan’s shoulder as both their breathing steadied.

“Yeah, I really gave it my all tonight, glad you enjoyed it,” Dan teased, still a bit breathless, as he pulled back, cold air hitting his sweaty skin.

“What?” Phil’s post-fuck brain wasn’t working fast enough for Dan’s terrible wit. “I mean for the video.”

“Oh,” Dan said sarcastically, smiling fondly. “I thought you were just impressed by my sex skills.”

“Eh it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” Phil teased in reply.

Dan snorted, looking over at Phil who had rolled onto his back. “Fine then. I see how it is.”

There was quiet for a second, and Phil reached for the duvet that had been cast aside, cold setting in. “Seriously though. I am really proud of you.”

“Yeah?” Dan’s lips quirked up. “You hadn’t mentioned.”

Phil had mentioned. Approximately once a day everyday since production of Dan’s video started, and even more frequently since it went public.

Phil rolled his eyes.

“Was that what you were thinking about? When I was giving you some of the best sex of your life?” Dan asked.

Phil rolled his eyes again, fondness staining his expression.

“Does my expression of emotional vulnerability get you off?” Dan asked, grinning.

“No,” Phil said. “Well. Maybe. But, no. I just—I dunno. You fuck better now that you’re out.”

Dan gave a proper laugh then. “Glad to have improved.”

“Shut up,” Phil said. “You’ve always been good. I just mean you seem more confident. It’s sexy.”

“Well, I aim to please, babe.” He tugged the corner of the duvet to fit himself under it as well.

“It’s just nice,” Phil said. “It’s like every time I think you and me can’t get any better you prove me wrong.”

“Sappy fuck,” Dan said.

Phil’s lips turned up. “I’m allowed to be sappy it’s pride month.”

“That’s gay.”

“So are you.”

Dan smiled. After all the time he spent working for it, there had been such a drastic change in the feeling that word invoked in Dan. Where there was once swirls of anxiety, there was now euphoric butterflies. Because fuck yeah Dan was gay. Dan guessed, then, that he knew what Phil was talking about. If he felt happier and more comfortable, then he must show it.

“So when are you gonna stop over-verbalizing your pride in me?” Dan asked.

“Never. You signed up for this, mate. It’s me, being proud of you, forever. That’s it. Sorry.”

Dan had run out of teasing things to say. The exhaustion was setting in, and he’d still yet to grab the cum rag from the bathroom to clean them both up so they could go to sleep.

“Damn,” he breathed. He kissed Phil’s shoulder, too lazy to move over and find his lips again.

“Should put that in the vows,” Phil said with a chuckle. “Promise to be proud of you forever until I annoy you to death.”

Dan smiled at that. “The vows,” he repeated. “That’s properly in the cards for us now, huh?”

“Mhm,” Phil hummed in reply. “Didn’t save that venue for nothing.”

~•~•~

Phil walked out of their bedroom, having woken up after Dan. This wasn’t unusual. Since the start of the year, Dan had been on a much better schedule. Dan was never one to half-ass anything. When he’d said this was the year he would live his truth to the fullest, he had meant it. He was taking care of himself, being open, being active. He was speaking about things that he cared about. He was taking opportunities that he might have turned down in the past. Phil couldn’t be prouder for all he had done for himself.

There was an amazing sort of euphoria that came with watching the person you loved more than anything love themselves.

Dan was sat in the lounge, dressed in that black romper that he rarely took out of the closet. He sat criss cross on the couch, laptop balanced between his knees. He typed something or the other, and Phil’s eyes stopped on his left hand.  
Resting snuggly above the knuckle of his ring finger was the platinum ring that Phil had given him four months prior.

Something warm erupted in his chest as he looked.

Dan seemed to notice him, looking up and smiling. “Morning,” he said. “Put a pot of coffee on a while ago.”

“You’re too good to me,” Phil said.

“I know, you should wife me up already,” Dan said with a grin. He’d probably noticed Phil noticing the ring.

“I’m working on it,” Phil called, walking into the kitchen for his coffee.

“About that,” Dan replied, as Phil poured his coffee. “How do you feel about Vegan catering?”

“Ughh,” Phil moaned from the kitchen in response.

“What? It would be good!”

“I don’t think anyone would show up,” Phil called back.

“Fuck you,” Dan said with a pout. “Well there will be a surplus of vegan options.”

“I suppose marriage is about compromise,” Phil replied, walking back into the lounge with his coffee.

Dan grinned. “Exactly.”

Phil sat down on the couch beside Dan. He set his mug on the coffee table, reaching to Dan’s left hand. He set his hand atop Dan’s, looking down at the engagement ring.

Dan flipped his hand over, lacing his fingers around Phil’s.

“Finished editing my video,” Phil said, still looking at Dan’s hand.

“Mm,” Dan hummed. “Satisfied with it?”

Phil nodded. “I think so. I did end up taking out that part. About you.”

Dan smiled, leaning his cheek back against the couch, facing Phil. “I had a feeling you might.”

“It doesn’t bother you does it? Because you know you were—you are—just as important to my sexuality and my story as I am to yours,” Phil said quickly.

“I know,” Dan said. “And I don’t want you to tell anyone but me that.”

“Yeah?” Phil traced the outline of the band around Dan’s finger with his own fingertip.

“Yeah. If everyone knew everything about our story it wouldn’t be ours,” Dan said.

Phil brought their hands up, turning them around to press a kiss to Dan’s knuckles.

“This is ours, isn’t it?” Phil asked quietly, pressing the tip of his pinky to the ring on Dan’s finger. “The rings.”

Dan smiled. “Everything about this—” He lifted his hand to specify the ring. “—is ours.”

Phil hummed in agreement.

~•~•~

Phil uploaded his video. Dan marched in a parade to stand up for himself, and for those like him. 

All of the glass was shattered. There was nothing but air between Dan, Phil, and the world.

Once, they had expected it to feel overwhelming. Now, it felt relieving. Freeing. All the fear had begun to slowly dissipate. They’d spent all this time behind a locked glass door, and they’d finally outgrown it. They were ready for this.

Dan confirmed the venue when he received a follow-up email.

~•~•~

“Are we gonna tell them?” Phil asked, as they laid in bed that night.

“We’ll let them know,” Dan murmured in reply.


End file.
